Sponging for 2015

iron man

This is the first year I am attempting to sponge ewes..... I always lamb at Easter but with a baby on the way and my brother getting married, I have decided to try for mid Feb. lambing and get it out of the way...

approx. 50 ewes
5 rams
lambing shed 4 bay and 20 small bonding pens
Loads of help.....

Start lambing 14th Feb (SAT)
Ram out for 4 days on 22 sept
Remove sponges 20th sept and inject
insert sponges 6th Sept

Sorry its in reverse but can any eagle eyed farmers have a look and see if I have it planned alright????????

What do you think about the percentage out of 50 ?

Will my lambing be over on 18th Feb???????

homersimpson

Some will lamb a few days earlier and some a few days later but you shouldn't be far away on the 14th.

Don't forget that some of your ewes might miss and the ram will need to be let to them again. These will lamb later than your date.

Some of mine lambed 3 days earlier that my date last year :rolleyes:

iron man

I am getting conflicting advice from the neighbours about the way I use the rams. One lad says that I should split the 50 with a ratio of 10:1. The rest seem to think that I'd be better have all 50 and 5 rams in together. Obviously I will raddled the rams.

Cran

iron man wrote: »

This is the first year I am attempting to sponge ewes..... I always lamb at Easter but with a baby on the way and my brother getting married, I have decided to try for mid Feb. lambing and get it out of the way...

approx. 50 ewes
5 rams
lambing shed 4 bay and 20 small bonding pens
Loads of help.....

Start lambing 14th Feb (SAT)
Ram out for 4 days on 22 sept
Remove sponges 20th sept and inject
insert sponges 6th Sept

Sorry its in reverse but can any eagle eyed farmers have a look and see if I have it planned alright????????

What do you think about the percentage out of 50 ?

Will my lambing be over on 18th Feb???????

I would maybe bring it back a day or even two, you'll find most would go a day over (few will go more but not to many) and by my lambing calc above dates would give 15th Feb as start date and using for years its never to far off. I'd let the rams in after 24 hours especially if any hogget ewes in the bunch. If the rams are aged and not lambs they shouldnt just focus on one ewe anyway so shouldnt be an problem with them being in with them before 36 hours.
Personally if rams are fit and used to each other I'd let them all out together, 50 ewes is small enough bunch and avoids problem of possible one being infertile.
Best of luck with the baby, our first due end of January inbetween lambings:P

piebaldskwbald

I've a bit of background with sheep repro from work and sponging my own for the last few years as well. The most crucial thing is the management of the rams, 50 is a small enough bunch as has been mentioned. Depends if the rams are used to each other? If they are not one or two may end up fighting and the job won't be done as effectively as you'd hope. Personally, I would have them in small groups of 10, just for ease of management and efficacy. Your ram to ewe ratio is spot on on a whole. Bear in mind some may repeat so raddling is a must. Ewes are usually in oestrous 30 to 60 hours after the sponge is removed but hoggets can come into and out of heat quicker so if you've any hoggets, let the ram in sooner than 36-48 hours. Best of luck with it.

iron man

thanks for all the comments. have it all planned now so just going to wait and see how it goes..... my biggest fear is that some start early.... i gave allowed a day and a half off work before the due date. i wonder is that enough? what percentage of ewes go fill term? on a normal year its something you never pay much atte much atyention to

Sheep breeder

You won't get a 100 per cent submission rate or holding to the service, with normally 80 per cent to hold to first serve, so you will need possibly two more serves to get most in lamb.

iron man

i know what u are saying. but do you think that some might lamb before the 145 days..???

rangler1

iron man wrote: »

i know what u are saying. but do you think that some might lamb before the 145 days..???

Ours lamb from day 143 to 150, so its a full week

galwayhillbilly

I just started a thread a few minutes ago about getting out of sheep because of a possible lack of help at lambing time and full time work, I forgot that sponging could be a potential solution for me, for the 20% that don't take on the 1st go what usually happens? do you have another attempt at sponging or do you just let nature take it's course for the 20%. In my experience it is always the stragglers that cause the problems,( I suppose all stragglers could be sold in lamb)
Also is ewe age important for this procedure?

iron man

im going to see what they cover first time round.... if i get them 80% plus them im going to leave the repeats.... time is my issue as i work...the wife is due and my helper is getting married... it all happens together....

Siamsa Sessions

Just came across this thread from last year - how did you get on iron man?

Did the timings work out, or what kind of percentage went in lamb on the first attempt?

I'm working off-farm myself too and thinking of sponging when we ramp up the number of ewes to make it easier to manage lambing.

sea12

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Just came across this thread from last year - how did you get on iron man?

Did the timings work out, or what kind of percentage went in lamb on the first attempt?

I'm working off-farm myself too and thinking of sponging when we ramp up the number of ewes to make it easier to manage lambing.

Would be interested in seeing how he got on as well. Work full time and have young family. Had kind of sorted in my head that this would be the last year and would do store lambs for a couple of years.

But might give the sponging a go for a year. Think I'd miss the lambing too.